Mattress negotiation: How to get the best price on a mattress

Disclosure: This site receives a payment from 1800 Mattress, US Mattress, or Overstock when you purchase a product using any links to those companies in this article.

It is no secret that most large mattress chains have some wiggle room in how much they’ll charge you. But not everybody is comfortable being a hardball negotiator. In this quick and easy guide, anybody can get a great price on a new mattress with little hassle and no uncomfortable back-and-forth negotiations. Here are the steps.

Step 1: Research

Do some research online to familiarize yourself with the mattress buying experience and what to expect. This will allow you to be a little more comfortable and confident when you’re in the showroom. In fact, you’re already on this step if you’re reading this! Check out the other pages on this site like my mattress buying guide.

Step 2: Shop

Go into a showroom and go through their selection process. If you want to know how to choose the right mattress, my mattress buying guide is a great resource. The short version is “check for proper support and make sure the mattress doesn’t cause any pressure.”

Step 3: Don’t buy it yet

This is the key step. Let the salesman know that you’re still shopping around for the best price on that mattress. Most retailers have either a price match or a price beat policy. If you have a smartphone, you can do this while you’re in the store. Otherwise, go home and take some time to do it on your computer.

The salesman will react in one of a few ways at this point.

He or she may just drop the price immediately, or offer to call a manager to drop the price. Listen to what he or she has to say, but unless it’s a massive price drop, don’t take it.

Some salesman may offer to look up the comparison models on competitors websites for you. If you trust the salesman, this can save you time, but not every salesman will be honest about what mattress is the real comparison model.

He or she may just say “ok” and let you leave. This isn’t what most salespeople are trained to do, but it’s less awkward for you.

Honestly, it’s best to walk out without buying so you can take the time to comparison shop.

Feel free to repeat this step with other retailers if you have the time.

Step 5: Price match/price beat

Go back into the showroom with the comparison model in hand. Have the page up on your smartphone or print it out. Let the salesman know that if they can beat the website’s offer, you’ll go with them. Otherwise, you’ll just buy it online. At this point, salesmen will almost certainly agree to at least match the price. If they say they can only match, not beat it, see if they can throw in a mattress protector, some pillows, a set of sheets or something instead.

If the salesperson refuses to match the price, have him or her call a manager. If he or she claims that it’s not the same model, have the salesperson explain exactly what’s different. If they give you some legitimate differences (this one here is a pillowtop, the one online isn’t), then ask them what the comparable model is on that same website. If they give you some B.S. reason (we have an exclusive anti-microbial treatment in the cover/ours uses Celestron in it/we have 5 extra coils/ours uses latex instead of memory foam in the center band), just reiterate that you don’t care about that, and will buy it online unless they match the price.

If the salesperson is stubborn, just buy it online. There’s no need to fight to give a business your money if they don’t want it. Most salespeople will take the deal, though. They get paid on commission, and even a heavily reduced commission is better than nothing. (Full disclosure, if you buy something online from one of the links on my website, I’ll get credit for the sale. So, if your salesman doesn’t want to make a commission from you, I’m happy to do so).

Conclusion

So, that’s all there is to it. Familiarize yourself with the mattress buying process, select a mattress, comparison shop online, then go back into the store and take advantage of the store’s price match or price beat policy. My customers often save 40% or more on mattresses this way, and it’s a very “clean” negotiation, with no lies or shady tactics on either end.

One note of caution: this is mainly useful at large mattress chains. There are a lot of independent mom-and-pop shops and boutique stores which don’t charge absurd prices to begin with and who might not be able to negotiate like the big guys.

I hope this helps!

If you successfully used this strategy, please let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear some success stories from you guys.

Disclosure: This site receives a payment from 1800 Mattress, US Mattress, or Overstock when you purchase a product using any links to those companies in this article.

MattressNerd Says

Thanks for writing. That must be a new model. I don't see it on their website. Can you find a link? Or do you have any details about the mattress?

hao Says

May 26, 2018 at
11:40 am

im trying to compare a beautyrest platinum holloway firm sold @ Mattress Firm. Can you give us information on that model?

belinda Says

May 15, 2018 at
8:17 pm

looking at Denver mattress a stearns and foster estate scarborough and at mattress firm a stearns and foster estate bridle luxury firm , are these 2 comparables ?
thanks for your help and reply !!

Bill Says

April 7, 2018 at
8:08 pm

We are trying to compare a trust II Sealy sold @ Mattress Firm. Can you give us information on that model?

MattressNerd Says

March 23, 2018 at
11:18 am

I was a retail mattress salesman working on 100% commission for nearly 7 years. I understand it just fine.
It still doesn't justify dishonesty.

Martha Says

March 21, 2018 at
8:46 pm

Hmmm. You do realize that sales people only earn commission and they are giving up their pay, not the manufacturers, not the company that owns the store. You don’t want someone to earn a living wage?

MattressNerd Says

October 2, 2017 at
7:34 am

Regardless of how good your knowledge is, it doesn't change the fact that you can often get the same mattress online for a lot less. That's just a fact.
A lot of my readers email me to say they've saved hundreds of dollars by following my suggestions, and some have even saved over a thousand.

John Says

October 1, 2017 at
6:00 pm

I have been in Furniture and Mattress Retail for over 20 years.
Reading several postings on your site from customers as well as "Mattress Nerd", I'm getting worried about the term "negotiation" being thrown around and the generalization of a mattress salesperson. I can't be specific as this comment would take hours to read!
Speaking for myself, I pride myself to give the best service to all of my clients. From education, value, price etc. Lying is not one of those traits.
HEY, ALL YOU PEOPLE SHOPPING FOR A MATTRESS SET........ DECIDE if you are READY to buy and how much you can AFFORD before you go "shopping" to your local mattress store. BE HONEST with yourself and your salesperson. Let them know what you want, need for your health and how much you are willing to spend. I do realize not all salespeople are at the top of their game when it comes to mattress education/training. That could happen in any retail experience (we've all been there). The salespeople are key to the right choice. There are some incredibly smart and wonderful salespeople out there that can really make a difference in your choice for the RIGHT BED SET. If you walk in, pick the most expensive mattress on the floor and try to negotiate to rock bottom just to see what happens knowing you can't afford it then walk out because you have to "compare online and shop around" your wasting every ones time.
It's smart to get your research ahead of time for ANY product you are about to "invest" in.
This site is a great source for product comparisons for the most part, but not 100% accurate. Be careful.
Just my $.02. Sorry for any bad grammar.

Lew Says

September 24, 2017 at
4:53 pm

Some time ago I purchasef a Serta Perfect Sleeper Talladega model fir a guest room. Now I want the exact same mattress for my MBR. I can't find any info on that model now so I can cross reference it to a new model. Can you help.

Janis Says

September 22, 2017 at
8:48 pm

I look at a stearns and foster at room to go for
$1304.00 queen set.lafloretini1.compare
Price for me to please.

Antonio Says

July 25, 2017 at
11:40 pm

I got a tempur pedic mattress regular 2460$ for 1520$ and I got two for one pillows and 40$ off some good sheets. Definitely haggle... you can get a lot.

MattressNerd Says

July 3, 2017 at
9:34 am

The higher end Sealy Posturepedics will have a similar quality to Stearns and Foster at a lower price. The lower priced Serta iComforts would also be good to try.

Misty Says

July 3, 2017 at
8:33 am

Hello! Thank you for this site. We have been comparison shopping for a few days now and have found that we like either an inner spring mattress with the plush top or an innerspring that is a hybrid. One of the brands we have liked is Stearns and Foster. In a reply to a previous question you stated "Stearns and Foster tends to be very expensive for what you get. It's not all that impressive, but because they make their mattress look fancy and use luxury terms to describe it, people pay more for it." Is there a comparable brand that offers the same quality for a lesser price? If so, we would like to give it a try before purchasing. Besides the feel of the bed, we also like that you do not "sink" when sitting on the side of the Stearns and Foster. Thank you again.

MattressNerd Says

June 24, 2017 at
7:57 pm

It's a lineup of Beautyrests that came out in 2015.
They've been replaced by the Silver and Platinum lineups.

Lou Wolter Says

June 24, 2017 at
5:15 pm

What doe this term "recharge" mean or refer to when buying a Beauty Rest mattress?
Thanks,

MattressNerd Says

May 31, 2017 at
12:34 pm

Why do you think you have been mislead?

vicki Stackpole Says

May 31, 2017 at
9:45 am

Help please - what does a mattress tag tell you? I know the date of manufacture, but I bought a bed from Mattress Firm on 5/26, delivered on 5/30 and the tag shows manufactured on 5/26 from Beloit, WI. It is a Serta. I think I have been misled. your thoughts please.

Kristina Says

May 23, 2017 at
10:10 pm

Hey I'm looking on overstock at the Slumber Solitions 14 in gel memory foam. Do you have any insight into whether this is a good option? Thanks!

Jane Says

April 6, 2017 at
12:48 pm

Your website and the comments sections are genius! Thank you soooo much for doing this!!!

MattressNerd Says

March 26, 2017 at
9:50 pm

From what I can tell, it's Mattress Firm's answer to all of the direct-to-consumer mattresses that have popped up recently.
Which to me is comically missing the point. People aren't buying 10 inch foam mattresses online because they are in love with the particular specs of those mattresses. They're primarily doing it so they don't have to go into a place like Mattress Firm.

Ameer Says

March 26, 2017 at
10:43 am

HI MattressNerd,
I wanted to get your feedback about a bed I liked at The Mattress Firm. It is called the "The Dream Bed". My wife and like it and it was in our price range (budget is $1000). Is it a good foam mattress? How long is the lifespan of it based on your experience? They were offering it in king for $999. What would be your recommendation to bring it down to for it to be a good price?
Thanks for your website and fantastic help!

MattressNerd Says

February 17, 2017 at
5:39 pm

1) Prices may have crept up slightly since I wrote the article, but not by too much. You can get a good mattress for $1000.
2) I didn't say anything around a 420 coil count is good. I think I said the exact opposite. I said anything that's NOT something like 420 coils is good. Whether it's 700 or 1000 or whatever doesn't matter too much, because the type of coil can vary.
3) If you're intimidated by the whole process, you can just try one of the direct-to-consumer mattresses. They're good quality for the price, and if you don't like it you can return it. It's a lot less stressful.
4) Those discount stores are risky, since you generally don't get a warranty or good customer service.

Lori Says

February 16, 2017 at
6:51 pm

As a young person about to buy their first ever "adult" bed (read: not the crappy $300 full set I bought in law school)- I want to say, your blog has been enormously helpful and informative and I really am so grateful I found it. I shared it with a friend who's about to embark on her own search.
I had a couple questions:
1) in one article you quote $750-1000 being a really good price range, getting almost into luxury territory- is this still the case? I was hoping to spend less than $1200 (ideally less than $1000) for a queen set. Is this a reasonable budget or am I cheating myself?
2) what are buzzwords mattress salesmen like to use that I should disregard? I know I'm another article you said anything around a 420 coil count is good- is this correct?
3) do you have any other advice before I go? I'm really scared because I'm easily intimidated and pushed into stuff by sales staff.
4) what are your thoughts on discount mattress stores- those that sell mattresses that were used and rejected within the trial period?
Thanks!!

Mayor Adam West Says

January 29, 2017 at
12:05 pm

I'm in the middle of bed purchasing now. Found the one I want, now just have to haggle. It's on 'closeout' for 999 and salesmans first offer was 970 out the door with delivery. Going to offer 800 otd later today and see what happens :)

Robert (Bobby) Briggs Says

January 4, 2017 at
9:48 am

you are so full of Crap!
You are just a used car salesman!
RB N TN.

Robert (Bobby) Briggs Says

January 4, 2017 at
9:43 am

04Jan.2017
Great Point, Bobby looking for a mattress, thanks for pointing that out, i will be willing to spend more in a real store.
Bobby in TN.37748

Joey Says

December 6, 2016 at
9:55 pm

We went into Mattress Firm on Columbus Weekend - we had done our research and wanted to go in and just tryout the feel of the beds. We aimed for the Beautyrest Black line but Mattress Firm only has Beautyrest Black Hybrid. We narrowed down to the Wellington (Queen) it was tagged at $5000. We also looked at the Beautyrest Black Hybrid Jennings & Claremont. We aimed towards the Wellington. The salesman said because of the holiday weekend we could get the 'family discount' ----the price immediately became $3600 - we also qualified for 5yr interest free Credit ---- we felt this was a really good price and deal. We basically got the Top of the Line Mattress in the Black Hybrid Line for a reduced price & great financing. Is this type of discount usually done? Should we have held out for more? We felt it was a good deal, your thoughts?

JO ANNE Says

November 23, 2016 at
11:47 am

Thanks for this, I really appreciated it. I am going to have to start looking and like anything else, it can be overwhelming to get started with all the stuff out there. This gave me some great starter ideas and tips. Thanks. Jo Anne

Joey Says

November 3, 2016 at
5:17 pm

I contacted Beautyrest about the difference between their top of the line Black Tatiana and MattressFirm's Black Hybrid Plus Wellington, they said basically they are the same mattress with minor differences (like a little bit thicker cool gel memory foam) both are the same price. We purchased the Wellington (Queen) for $3600 which was a mark down from $5000 - so far we are happy with the mattress (2 weeks).

Joey Says

October 27, 2016 at
7:06 pm

We paid $3600 for MattressFirms Beautyrest Black Hybrid Plus Wellington Queen. The sticker was $4999.
Is that considered a good deal? Should we have bargained down more? We felt it was a decent price and had done a lot of research but there were no comparibles to the Black Hybrid Plus Wellington. Contacted Simmons Beautryrest web and they said it is comparable to the Tatiana with added MemoryFoam.
Your Thoughts?
We were willing to spend the money as long as we got a top-notch mattress or did we just waste our money

MattressNerd Says

September 11, 2016 at
8:47 am

I have a Spindle review here. I'd recommend the medium, but it's tough to say for sure that it would be the best. You can always make a firm mattress softer by adding padding up top. It's tougher to make a soft mattress firmer.

Cb Says

September 10, 2016 at
11:23 am

Hi! This is a wonderful site. Like everybody else, I've been doing a LOT of research online. I've also visited b&m stores. I've gotten much more information online than in a store. i've also had more questions answered by online vendors and experts. You're doing the public a real service, thank you.
I am in the trial period of a Loom & Leaf mattress (Saatva) and will probably return it. The mattress itself seems to be superbly constructed and the company is very helpful, but I now know that memory foam isn't for me. It sleeps hot (in spite of L&L having cooling properties) and it takes me longer to fall asleep. I think the memory foam has to soften through body heat before it becomes comfy. I didn't know that until I tried it. Also, the tufting bothers me, though it's a luxury feature and others may like it. And it's harder to move around on.
So I'm about to go to natural latex. I just discovered Spindle and have talked a few times with them. I like the idea of assembling the mattress myself (easier to transport, and I did it with a prior latex hybrid I had for 10 years.). I also like the natural properties of their foam. My question: what level of firmness in latex will be best for a side sleeper (BMI 25) who needs good spine support? I'm hesitating between the soft combo (medium/medium/medium) and the medium combo (firm/medium/medium). Any thoughts on this, and on Spindle, will be appreciated.

MattressNerd Says

September 4, 2016 at
7:09 am

The Black Hybrids are only sold at Mattress Firm and its subsidiaries, so you can't comparison shop them directly. Other places will have the Beautyrest Platinum Hybrids instead, but they will use different coils and different foam.

Verlin Frye Says

September 3, 2016 at
8:51 am

I'm tryin to locate the comparison mattress for Mattress Firms models named, "Beautyrest Black Hybrid Clermont" and "Beautyrest Black Hybrid Wellington." Any idea what those names would be at other stores? Also, any thoughts on what I should really expect to pay at the right discount? The Clermont is $3,700 and the Wellington is $5,400 (Cal Kings).

MattressNerd Says

June 29, 2016 at
1:18 pm

I doubt you'd sink in that much on your stomach. The Leesa doesn't sink very much at all to a light tough (and your head will be fairly light). It's pretty stiff on the surface, but it contours a few inches under heavier weight. Some of the other ones give much more easily to a light touch, but don't contour as much over all.

MattressNerd Says

June 21, 2016 at
4:25 am

As long as your current boxspring is rigid, it should be fine. If the boxspring is springy, then that's not the best for a foam mattress (though, very few were made like that 5 years ago).
It's easy to set up. You take it out of the box, lay it down on the boxspring and unroll it. When you cut the plastic off (carefully so not to cut the mattress), it inflates instantly. Well, it gets to about 90% inflated instantly. It takes a few hours to get all the way there.

MattressNerd Says

February 28, 2016 at
10:26 pm

And you're trying to rip customers off by charging $1800 for a mattress which can be purchased at another store for $900 and lying to the customer claiming it's a "different mattress" because yours uses an anti-microbial treatment in the ticking so you can make a living.
And I'm not even trying to get people out of retail stores. For example, Sears and Costco have some of the lowest prices on Sealy Posturepedic around. I'm not even an affiliate for Costco. If somebody buys something from Costco after visiting my site, I make $0. Yet, I include them on my Sealy comparison chart.

Carol Says

February 22, 2016 at
5:11 pm

I doubt that you will post this response, MattressNerd, but I have been selling bedding for longer than you and some of what you advice is just plain misleading. Plus I think people reading these posts need to keep in mind that you are most definitely not touting an unbiased opinion ... you are attempting to make money by getting people OUT of retail stores where people can try the beds and get expert advice on what level of support and cushioning they really need, and instead buy what you recommend (without having even seen said people) so that you can make a living.

MattressNerd Says

January 31, 2016 at
9:00 am

Yeah, Stearns and Foster tends to be very expensive for what you get. It's not all that impressive, but because they make their mattress look fancy and use luxury terms to describe it, people pay more for it.

Phil Says

January 30, 2016 at
6:18 pm

I read about the issue of Stearns and Foster developing humps. I asked Costco what if that happens.they said bring it back. Great. Well, humps developed in a few months. Now I have to drag the King set back to the store. Probably better to deal with a mattress retailer for a new one from a service perspective. Your info has been very helpful and educational. Lot to know about mattresses for sure. Thanks

MattressNerd Says

January 21, 2016 at
10:05 pm

In many cases, the online retailers will offer you BETTER policies than the brick and mortar ones.
For example, Sleepy's owns 1800 Mattress and mattress.com (Or rather, they're all owned by the same corporation, HMK Mattress, recently bought out by Mattress Firm).
Sleepy's will charge you a $150 return fee PLUS a $99 delivery fee, for a total of $249. If you buy from 1800 mattress, which sometimes has a lower price than Sleepy's, you only pay the $40 delivery fee. There is no exchange fee, and the delivery fee is under half the price. For the same product, same delivery times, etc.
What YOU'RE not addressing is you're brainwashed to think that you offer superior service to everybody else. Everything thinks their service is superior. I used to think the same thing when I worked in brick and mortar.
Truth is, online companies often have to offer far better customer service than brick and mortar to get customers to trust them in the first place.
Stop drinking the Kool Aid and think for yourself for a change.

Ted Seger Says

January 21, 2016 at
7:18 am

What your comments do NOT address are the requirements of what each "brick and mortar" or online retailer require AFTER a mattress purchase.
For example...
What are the parameters for return if you do NOT like the mattress?
How long does it take to receive the mattress?
What if it is the wrong item or if there is damage when it is received?
How much will it cost if I do return it?
Do you even have the opportunity to return it?
If there is a warranty claim, do you go through them or do you need to work directly with the manufacturer? This could be rather costly (Note: NO manufacturer covers "transportation charges" so even if you buy from a "brick and mortar" retailer there will likely be a delivery/pickup charge.
How long does it take for the warranty process to complete?
I agree, do your research, investigate the retailer you wish to do business with.
Check out business review sites like Yelp or other social media outlets and see what they say about the retailer.
Lastly, if you are going into a "Brick and mortar" location, allow the salesperson to help you. Go in with an open mind and see what is available. Remember, when you get the right mattress that addresses your needs, it is less of a purchase of a mattress than it is an investment in your health

Bob Says

December 29, 2015 at
4:31 pm

Dear MattressNerd,
Thank you for knowing how to write! It is so refreshing to read a blog where the author knows how to punctuate (e.g., that the comma goes inside the quotes) and takes the time to say things clearly.

DabbingForAMattress Says

December 7, 2015 at
2:18 pm

Thank you first for this insight and context. It's great you can share your knowledge with others. Now my question. I've done my research and two rounds of in store testing. I've settled on a mattress, King Koil, that is only sold by one retailer in my area. Of course the retailer has a crazy "retail" price and then a "sale" price. I took a minor stab and asked the salesman about reducing the "sale" price. Of course he stated that he couldn't negotiate the price. I told him to check with the manager and then give me a call back tomorrow. Should I be able to negotiate off their "sale" price? Should I be asking for 40%-50% off the "sale" price? What is the best response to a saleman that says no to negotiating? Thanks again in advance.

MattressNerd Says

November 22, 2015 at
10:23 am

Yes, that's what I'm saying.
You might be able to get some free pillows or something if you're really good. But that's about it.

Angie Says

November 22, 2015 at
12:56 am

Question: we are thinking of either tempurapedic or sleep number. Are you saying there is really no room for negotiation with these brands?

MattressNerd Says

September 22, 2015 at
8:13 pm

That's completely up to you, to be honest. It's always good to support local businesses, but you also need to look out for yourself. I'm not an ethicist, so I can't comment on the ethics of voluntarily spending more money than you have to. But, there might be some benefits in going with the local company. If something goes wrong with the mattress, you can physically go there to ring someone's neck, so to speak. Whether that (and feeling good about supporting a local business) are worth the extra $300 to you is entirely dependent on your budget and how much you value that $300.

Doug Tired Says

September 22, 2015 at
7:43 pm

Ok, here is MY dilemma. Shopped at a local boutique type store, not a chain, and they were willing to match the online price of the manufacturer. Was still undecided, went home and found another website offering the same price but with a 10% discount for first order. That amounts to a $300 savings. The store won't match it and asks that I value the chance they gave me to try it out, etc, over the online retailer. Truth be told I never would have considered this mattress if not for the chance to try it out, so is it not more ethical for me to give the store my business? Should I take one more stab at negotiating? I don't want to come across as unreasonable or bullying. My wife says just pay up to the local guy. Your take? Thanks.

MattressNerd Says

September 11, 2015 at
11:07 am

A few manufacturers will have a minimum price. Tempurpedic, Stearns and Foster, and the iSeries and iComfort lineups of Serta are the more common ones.
The mattresses online aren't refurbished. That's just slander to convince you to pay extra money in store. As long as you buy from a reputable company like US Mattress, you'll be fine. If you're buying from craigslist or something, of course it could be refurbished.

Ty Says

September 11, 2015 at
10:37 am

All of the local mattress companies we've shopped at say that their price is set by the company and they're not allowed to sell it lower based on agreements that they've signed. It sounds like that's not true according to your site. They said that mattresses online are often reconditioned?? Thank you for your work on what I consider to be a very difficult item to price compare.

MattressNerd Says

September 7, 2015 at
9:28 am

This can work, but this can also backfire. When I worked in a store, if I found out that one of my coworkers had already helped a customer, I wouldn't budge on price at all. If a customer told me "but your store down the street told me they'd do it for this price" my response would be "ok, go buy it there" and that's it.

Unsu Says

September 6, 2015 at
9:15 pm

I would like to add one more interesting way to save you a bit of cash, namely play out stores from the same chain against eachother. Funny how even if they fall under the same district manager, they will still bid against eachother to get the commission. We were able to save another 300$ like that, from a price that was already almost cut down in half. Definitely worth trying it if 300$ doesn't grow on your back.

chuck kurlan Says

July 23, 2015 at
10:51 pm

Thank you so much! You are my hero!
I have never purchased mattresses before and new i needed to do research. I found your site and read page after page until i felt confident i knew enough to go ahead. I went to sleepy's and after settled on two of the simmons phenom queen mattresses and powerbase. After some negotiation the price came down to $6,900 (more than i ever imagined spending but i have a bad back) including tax.
Now, i knew that come what may I was not buying before doing the research online. I am now the happy owner of the two mattresses and power bases for a total of $4200 between Amazon for the mattresses and Walmart for the powerbases! Ok, so i need to bring it in and set it up. I can handle that for a $2700 savings.
Sadly, while in sleepy's, i saw another couple come in and buy on the spot after having laid down for 2 minutes flat. They had a coupon for free delivery and $50 off. they were thrilled when the sales woman offered a $100 discount if they bought then and there. Of course they fell for it. Too bad they didn't find your site.
Thanks!!!

MattressNerd Says

June 12, 2015 at
5:12 pm

Ah, here we go folks. A wild mattress salesman appears.
First of all, I am also trained to sell mattresses. I did it in a retail store for 7 years, and went through two training programs and continuing education throughout. Let me address your points one at a time.

I can start by educating the writer of this article that you can’t get a good mattress for less than $1,200.

You can often find a Simmons Beautyrest World Class queen sized set for under $1200. If one of the higher end Beautyrests doesn't count as a "good mattress," then I don't know what does. Same for the Sealy Posturepedic Plus mattresses. That's the high end of Posturepedic. You can't get the absolute best mattresses for $1200, but you can find good ones for around 700-800 in a queen.

Secondly, I deserve to make a living, and if I can’t make one because people want to save a few hundred buying something online, than don’t expect expert, quality service, and the opportunity to try it.

As it stands right now, customers can get the best of both worlds. They can go into your store, get expert, quality service, and then find the matching one online and buy it there. They have the opportunity to try it in your store. Sure, that might not be fair to you, but you surely can't expect people to pay upwards of an extra $800 for that service. People would be happy to pay an extra 100 bucks to buy it from you. But, with the way the industry is set up, mattresses in the store are often overpriced by a huge margin compared to online.

. I can tell you this authors claims about latex vs memory foam being a negligible difference to which the products the same is not only ignorant but misinforming the public.

Of course there is a real difference between latex and memory foam. I love latex bedding, and prefer it over memory foam (though it is of course more expensive). However, that's not what I'm talking about. If you have a half-inch strip of latex in the center third of the bed, and somebody else has a half-inch strip of memory foam, and somebody else has a thin strip of titanium (I'm looking at you, Macy's), that doesn't make a big difference at all. We're not talking about a whole thick layer of the mattress. We're talking about a thin strip deep down inside, that was only changed to make it harder to comparison shop.

Maybe I should make my own affiliate marketing site and inform the public? Hmm, extra money.

I welcome you to try, but you'll need to change your mindset. You're focused on how you can make the most money. That's all you talked about in this comment. You mentioned how the customer should spend more money, how you deserve to make a living off of that money, and you want to start a website for extra money.
This website isn't about me or ways I can make money. I'm happy to say that I make a decent living from this, and I do it by saving people money. My whole focus is saving my readers as much money as I can, and if that means you make less money because of it, then I'm sorry. But, you're not my target audience. The customers are my focus. Instead of selling for just one company, and drinking their Kool-Aid, I can sell for every company, and find the real lowest price for the customer.
The mattress industry is broken. I don't know how to fix it, but clinging onto the old ways of salesman who are incentivized to distort the truth to make commission, while a customer pays $2000 for a mattress they could've bought online for $1100 because the salesman made up some story about "no, this is a one-time offer, if you walk out this door, it's no good"... that just doesn't work anymore.
I'd like to see more IMAP products, I'd like to see retailers selling the same mattress for the same name to facilitate comparison shopping, I'd like to see the practice of putting up a fake "retail price" that the mattress has never sold for come to an end (Department stores, that Tempurpedic is NOT normally $8000, on sale for $4000. The IMAP price is $4000), etc.

MP Says

June 12, 2015 at
4:42 pm

I am trained to sell mattresses, and spent my time and energy to find out about a customers needs, budgets and wants. I can start by educating the writer of this article that you can't get a good mattress for less than $1,200. Most mattresses are garbage, and won't give you much comfort life. Expensive mattresses are the only way to go. Period. And when I say this, I don't mean that you see a price tag that says $1,200, I mean you start looking at around $1,800 and negotiate. Rarely you will see one of these sets I sale for the price, but don't expect much further savings.
Secondly, I deserve to make a living, and if I can't make one because people want to save a few hundred buying something online, than don't expect expert, quality service, and the opportunity to try it. I can tell you this authors claims about latex vs memory foam being a negligible difference to which the products the same is not only ignorant but misinforming the public.
Maybe I should make my own affiliate marketing site and inform the public? Hmm, extra money.

MattressNerd Says

June 8, 2015 at
1:55 pm

More in the range of 30-50. If something retails for 1200, it's on sale for 1000, but you say you want to shop around and you get an offer for 600, that's probably pretty good.

Winnie Says

June 8, 2015 at
5:29 am

When you say "He or she may just drop the price immediately, or offer to call a manager to drop the price. Listen to what he or she has to say, but unless it’s a massive price drop, don’t take it.", what would you consider a massive price drop? 10%? 30%? 50%?
thanks!

MattressNerd Says

April 13, 2015 at
9:56 pm

The retail stores are the ones offering the price match guarantee. What you're asking is for consumers to say "no thanks, I don't want the price you're offering, let me give you more money." Negotiation is not bullying and it is not "theft." That's just absurd.
Additionally, there's a huge difference between being willing to pay "a bit more" and paying $600 more. And that's a mild example. I have people emailing me telling me that I've saved them upwards of $1100 on a mattress that was retailing for $2400.
I agree with you to a certain extent. I'm willing to pay a little bit more to buy from a store, especially if it's a store that I personally like. I am a tabletop gamer, for example, and I will gladly pay $49.99 for a board game from my friendly local gaming store that I could've gotten from Amazon for $44.99, because I enjoy going there.
However, if we're talking about a store that goes out of its way to claim they have the lowest prices, but then arbitrarily make it difficult to comparison shop, all while lying about the product and running dishonest "sales" in which the price either doesn't change or isn't as big of a discount as they advertise... they deserve what they get. If they want to advertise a price beat guarantee and then try to play dirty about it, I am 100% morally okay with using whatever honest tactics that are required to save money.
And yes, I consider comparison shopping online to be honest. I have no idea how you can claim it is dishonest. Maybe "dishonest" means something different to you, but to me it means saying or doing things that are untrue (i.e. lying). At no point in this guide do I recommend lying. You go into the store, state your intention to shop around online for a lower price, actually do so, then come back and take advantage of the price match guarantee that the store has advertised. No step of that is dishonest.
To address your final question, "Why should the local guy beat the price and/or match and throw in extras?" Because they want to make money. Making a small profit on an item is preferable to most places than making no profit at all. If they don't want to make that money, nobody is forcing them to.

Sean Says

April 13, 2015 at
9:36 pm

Let me start by saying I own a brick & mortar retail store (toys not mattresses). I'm all for comparison shopping except when you try to get a local to beat the online. To be honest, I don't even agree with matching a price, but you should be in the ballpark. In your guide, you talk about the importance of actually seeing/touching/trying the mattress. Therefore, that has value. Guess what? That 'value' has a cost. Retail space is more expensive than warehouse (online) space. Salesmen cost more than a computer & shipping department. I just ask people to pay for what they get. If you "use" a store as a showroom while planning to buy online or try to bully your way cheaper, you are being dishonest and, in my book, a kin to a type of theft (moral vs actual).
That doesn't even take into account the impact buying local has verses buying online (outsourcing). Maybe retail stores should start a showroom fee, like restaurants that allow you to bring your own wine, but have a 'corking fee'.
I'm just saying, get what you pay for, but also pay for what you get. If there is value in seeing/touching/experiencing, then recognize it and be willing to pay a bit more.
Why should the local guy beat the price and/or match and throw in extras? You are already getting more for your money. My $.02

MattressNerd Says

January 18, 2015 at
10:13 am

That really depends on what they call the "retail" price. Department stores like to give a ridiculous "retail" price that they never sell it at. From those prices, you can expect an 80% discount. Places like Sleepy's or Mattress Firm and the like will have more reasonable retail prices, but you can still expect to save roughly 50% off of those prices on most models. Some models are price-locked, so you're unlikely to find a discount on those. Examples of those are Tempurpedic, Serta iSeries, and Stearns and Foster.

James Says

January 16, 2015 at
6:13 pm

When negotiating a price for the mattress what are typically the %'s off the retail price that are realistic and a good deal? I know there is huge margin on mattresses but i am looking for a good starting point
thanks